Look who's come crawling out the woodwork! Yes I'm posting updates to this story years ago I had a story in my head that I wanted to publish.
It was about two super soldiers and an SSR agent coming forward in time to meet the Avengers. I wrote some of this story and posted some chapters and got great feedback. Then a few things happened.
1. I didn't count on readers telling me where I should be taking MY STORY!
2. I didn't realise how sensitive I was to negative comments.
3. I didn't realise how much of a bitch I was four years ago.
Now a better me is taking control of this story and improving on it.I considered a rewrite.
Then I realised that I hate it when writers decide to do a rewrite. So I'm not apologising for any and all plot points in this story.
I remember the Skoulson pairing getting negative responses way back since I no longer watch Agents of Shield, I'm going to slowly phase them away anyways.
This is an Avengers story after all.I'm not going to fix any mistakes that I made four years ago. What I am going to do, is to continue this story. If you like it, tell me. If you hate it, tell me as well. I can take it.
Coulson and Steve stood aside as Natasha rode her bike up the ramp and parked it next to a bullet hole ridden Chevy Corvette; vintage '66 by the look of it. Natasha winced at the holes as she examined it her helmet under her arm. When she looked up Coulson and Steve were no longer alone; beside him was Skye filling Coulson in on something while throwing covert glances at her bike with barely restrained curiosity.
Natasha held back a grin and looked to Steve. "Can I talk to you for a second?" she asked him.
Steve looked puzzled but nodded. They moved off the ramp and to a secluded area of the rooftop which looked down at the bridge where Natasha had given Steve CPR. As they moved past Coulson and Skye he called out to Natasha.
"May's prepping up the plane I'll meet you in the hold when you get in. Natasha nodded her agreement and they went inside talking in low voices their heads together.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Steve asked her as he looked out to the river, she was forcibly reminded of that kiss he had landed on her before they came out here, she turned to look out at the water as well. Natasha wasn't an idealistic, hell she was an assassin plain and simple; it wasn't just a job, it was her life; sex was a weapon and emotions were a weakness and yet she could still feel the tingle on her lips from when he had kissed her... she shook her head that was not why she had pulled him aside.
"I just wanted to ask if you were okay with all this," she replied to his question, well she wasn't completely made of stone. "I know it all must be strange for you, everything happening so fast; one moment your trying to stop a plane from destroying half the world, the next you're drowning..."
"And next I'm staring down the barrel of a gun held by a very skilled and beautiful assassin," he finished his tone joking.
She managed not to blush but it was a close thing, she kept treating him likeherCap but he kept surprising her with his flirtatious banter and unpredictable actions, and she was confused with herself; she felt a little out of her depth with him and she didn't ever think that anything could be out of her depth. True she was a master of seduction and had used it countless times during her life but this was alien to her. If she had time to examine herself though, Natasha might have realized that not even once had she considered distancing herself from Steve, which was normally a reflex action for her where ever emotions were concerned.
Natasha felt a hand on her arm and looked up to see bright blue eyes meet her green and her breath hitched in her throat.
"Natasha I'm in a strange world filled with no one I know or trust except you." Natasha blinked at that. Trust; that was a word and value that she was unaware of, she had been taught very early on not to trust anyone, and while she had gotten over a lot of her teachings in the Red Room that one still remained close to her heart, in the long span of her life she had trusted one two people, one of them she had thought was dead until a few moments ago and the other was the man who had given her a chance when he had been ordered to kill her.
She didn't give trust and she didn't inspire it; her team the Avengers might recognize her skills as valuable and her prowess formidable but she had no illusions about them; they trusted her just as much as she did them which was not even a little and yes the Captain counted with them, he and her might engage in friendly banter but that was more her acting on Fury's orders to make the Cap as comfortable as possible in the new world, to have gained a friend in him was just a side effect but his actions during the rescue mission on the ship and during the HYDRA take over showed her that while he thought of her as part of his team, he didn't trust her to answer only to him, which he was right to do because shedidn'tanswer only to him. Well not back then, now though...? That was a different story.
For Steve to trust her without her proving her worth was something of an alien concept to her, attraction she could understand, though not her attractions pertaining to him - that was still wreaking havoc inside her brain, but blind trust in her? It startled and she just started stupidly at him for a moment and then broke eye contact.
"You don't know what you're talking about Steve," she tried her voice as emotionless as she could make it staring back out at the horizon. "Trusting me might not be in your best interests."
"Why not?" asked Steve no hint of disappointed or accusation in his voice, just curiosity.
Natasha shook her head. "It just isn't," she replied and turned to walk away but Steve stopped her with a hand above her elbow just on her bicep, she turned blazing eyes on him hoping he knew that were he anybody else his hand would have been broken in three different places the moment he touched her like that serum or no serum.
Steve just looked into her eyes calmly and just because she could she glared back at him until he spoke. "Until you give me reason to withdraw it you have my trust Natasha one day I hope you will give me yours," he released her arm and turned towards the Bus allowing her a moment to regain her bearings.
Natasha cursed under her breath in Russian and turned too, she glanced once at him gave him a slight nod and started for the ramp of the plane, she let out a breath when she saw Steve lag behind giving her the space she hadn't asked for but still needed.
She walked past her bike and the Corvette .The car looked like the sort Coulson would drool over. Speaking of; catching sight of him Natasha went over to meet said SHIELD Director. He was standing at the far end of the hold looking through a glass wall at a woman wearing a white overcoat working over a microscope, talking with Skye. A closer look at him told her that he was looking less at the scientist and more at Skye, she mentally raised an eyebrow at that observation but shook it off; she didn't get involved in other peoples business unless it was her mission, whatever is, was, might have been or could be between her former SO and his subordinate was non of hers as long as it didn't interfere with the job, then she would make it her business.
Therewassomething to do with Skye that was her business though and as she came to stand next to Coulson, Natasha said. "She could use some help with her technique."
Coulson looked at her askance and asked. "Who?" even though he knew perfectly well who she was talking about.
"Your girlfriend, the hacker," she replied tartly, she wasn't above some light ribbing, even if itwasnone of her business; Coulson was her friend.
"She's not my - " he abruptly cut himself off and Natasha almost smirked at him. "I don't know Natasha," he back tracked choosing to ignore her jibe at Skye. "I think she got you pretty good on that shot," he cajoled back at her. "The Natasha I knew would have dropped her before she came within three feet of you."
"She got lucky," sniffed Natasha but acknowledged that yes the girl had gotten past her defenses and landed a hit which almost never happened to her. "She's good," she admitted finally. "She could be better."
Coulson's eyebrows rose up to his receding hairline. "And you're offering?" he asked incredulously.
Natasha frowned at his tone. "You don't have to act so surprised," she said raising an eyebrow herself at his reaction, she folded her arms and huffed out a breath.
Coulson shook his head. "Natasha you have been at the level of a senior Agent for the better part of half a century, the only reason I was your SO was so that I could keep an eye on you in case you turn out to be a plant and in all the years I have known you you have never ever even thought of taking someone under your wing and now after only meeting Skye once, hell after she punched you, you offer to be her SO? It's a little surprising you have to admit."
Natasha thought about that for a moment then nodded. "I guess I see your point and if you don't like the idea then we can just forget about the offer and you can have May teach her but..."
Coulson cut her off. "No no. Tasha I absolutely love the idea, and Maywillbe teaching her, you both will be, if the offers still on the table that is. You both have innumerable skills that you can teach her and I want Skye to be prepared for any threat, I want her able to defend herself and not rely on help. I want her ready." Finished Coulson with impassioned conviction.
Yeah he had it bad. Natasha chose to ignore that, again, and nodded. "The offers still there, tell her we'll be starting tomorrow and tell her I won't be holding back."
Coulson nodded. "She won't expect you to," he replied but paused. "Natasha you're sure you want in on this?" Natasha blinked. "SHIELD is gone Tasha, well mostly, there is no one stopping you from walking away from all this like you wanted when you left the Red Room, I won't come after you and I'll stop anyone who does. This could be your chance."
Natasha regarded his words, they spoke of a time long ago actually they spoke of the same time he had mentioned earlier in order to convince her of his resurrection.
December of '99 at the Rouge, they had been on a mission and she had had to take out a kid barely out of his teens brainwashed into working for the Ten Rings. He had been about to suicide bomb an entire stadium full of people in order to further his terrorist groups agenda, Natasha had been ordered by Fury to eliminate the threat, that's what SHIELD did, when they needed a job done that they were too squeamish to see through they sent the Black Widow.She had her orders and she carried it out.Rookie Agents were warned by Senior Agents about the Black Widow; about how her heart was made of stone and that she didn't feel anything, about how if she was ordered to take out a target she took them out, even if that target was her own mother, that she never felt anything when taking a human life, hell they even said that she enjoyed it. last time she pulled the trigger to kill a human being the number was 1788 and that man had been 1789th, it was at the Fall of SHIELD. She remembered each and every person she had ever killed and kept a score not to have some sort of morbid bragging right but because she needed to, they might have been monsters, but if she forgot about them after she killed them than she would be just like one of them, her tally kept her sane and reminded her of who she was.That order to kill the kid had taken something out of her and she had waken up in the night to a cold sweat the kids face in front of her eyes his forehead bleeding a thin stream of blood from the bullet hole shot straight between his eyes. Coulson who was sharing the bed with her in the hotel as part of their cover had gotten up with her and turned to the dresser beside his bed after looking at Natasha for moment. A chink of glass on glass and he sat up with a bottle of Vodka and two glasses."Sometimes, I wish that I could just leave you know?" she said to Coulson the bottle half empty between them, her voice slurred a little but Coulson nodded for her to continue. "I mean I am doing exactly what I did for the Red Room that I do now for Fury, he gives me targets I take them down no questions. I don't have a choice in it, all I am is a weapon to both of them and all that happens is I get pointed to the nearest threat."Coulson had taken her hand in his and said. "Tasha," it was the first time he used it. "you saved hundreds of peoples lives today, men, women and children are right now safe in their homes because of you!"Natasha had shaken her head at the rational words that she had been using to justify her actions to herself all night being voiced in Coulsons soft baritone. "I just wish I could leave the Black Widow and go you know? Leave and never look back."Coulson had looked at her for a minute and then said. "Then go," he said quietly.She had blinked at him. "What?"He had shrugged. "Go, I'll make your excuses. Cover for you while you go dark.""Coulson Fury would skin you alive for that," she had protested."No," he had said. "I would probably be labeled as some kind of an accomplice of the spy of the Red Room and be interrogated for information and then thrown into the Fridge." he had shrugged at that. "and I don't think any of that will be up to Fury to enforce or prohibit, you do know that the ladder climbs higher than Fury at SHIELD right?""I can't let you go through that for me," she had said her voice pained and then she squeezed his hand which was still clasping hers. "We can both run?" she had asked scarcely believing the words coming out of her mouth.Coulson had stomped on that one. "No we can't," he had said with a sad smile. "Someone will have to stall SHIELD and I've got the best clearance level to seriously make a difference . . . and besides I believe in SHIELD.""You believe in SHIELD?" she had asked him incredulously knocking back another glass of Vodka. "SHIELD that lies and cheats and has hidden agendas everywhere? You believe inthat?""Yeah," he had responded knocking his own drink back. "I believe in what it stands for, one of its ethics exists to help people and that's why I'll help you Natasha but I won't come with you, SHIELD is my life and I trust the system.""You trust the system to label you a traitor and throw you in high security freak asylum?"Coulson had just stared at the glass at that question."Whatever," Natasha had said after a while. "It's all wishful thinking anyway, I knew what I was signing up for when I joined SHIELD, I'll live with the consequences."Coulson still said nothing obviously she had made him question his faith in SHIELD little, her hand was still in his."Coulson I may not trust SHIELD, or the system, but I trust you and I know that as long as you are a part of SHIELD you won't let it go completely out of control."That had brought back a smile to his face and he had thanked her taking another shot of his Vodka, and then the bottle was empty and they were making their way to the bed their movements slow and exploratory. Their actions were not of two drunk people losing themselves but of two adults completely at the end of their emotional threshold knowing that what they needed was to forget for one moment the horrible things they had to do to prevent horrible things happening to others.They never regretted that night but agreed to never mention it or let it happen again. Barton had come in to check on them in the morning and finding them entwined together naked and nursing hangovers came to the obvious conclusion and tried to punch Coulson's lights out Natasha in turn gave him a black eye for his efforts. They all agreed to keep their silence.
Natasha smiled at that memory and looked at Coulson. "That was a long time ago," she said quietly.
Coulson nodded. "And are you telling me that your wish to leave Black Widow behind has changed? That you no longer want to walk away?"
Natasha pursed her lips; that wish never went away. She saw Coulson nod at her silence. "No Coulson," she said. "I still wish I didn't have to do what I do but this is all I have, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have this job."
Coulson studied her for a moment and then nodded. "Okay," he said finally his eyes twinkling in a pleased smile. "It's good to have you back Natasha."
Natasha nodded at him and hesitated for a moment and then shrugged leaning in to give the man a hug, he didn't seem to know what to do with that gesture but eventually returned it relaxing his shoulders a little. When she pulled back she saw Steve looking pointedly at the Chevy and Skye staring daggers straight at her. She smirked and blew her a kiss in the air and sauntered of the hold up a spiral set of steps and out into the living quarters of the Globemaster. She found a spare bunk unloaded some of her gear, then she settled down to wait for the Bus to take off.
Coulson stared after Natasha for a moment then turned to Rogers, he was aware of Skye's eyes on him but knew that now was not the time to addressthatparticular issue.
"Captain Rogers, I imagine all this must be very strange for you?" he felt a sense of deja vu recalling his first conversation with the other Cap, he hoped he didn't stick his foot in his mouth this time around.
Rogers looked around the room and nodded shrugging. "A little," he said self consciously. "But not what I expected the future would be like, no flying cars for one."
Coulson gave rueful smile and glanced down at Lola as Skye came out of the lab and stood next to him.
"Ah yes introductions," he said looking between the hacker and Rogers. "Captain Rogers this is Skye, Skye I think you know Captain America."
Rogers stepped forward as Skye held out a hand, he took it turned it over and bowed over it in a formal greeting. "Ma'am it's a pleasure," he said as Skye raised an eyebrow at him. "and please call me Steve."
"Well Steve," said Skye taking her hand back and smirking. "I think you could teach Mister Charm School here a thing or two, oh and please call me Skye." She let out a little giggle as Coulson gave her a playful glare.
"The woman inside the lab is Dr Jemma Simmons, she's a biochemist and the teams medical support, if you have any concerns about your health, Natasha said you fell from quite high into the Potomac and weren't moving afterwords, then you can consult her. She's is experienced with dealing with super soldiers, we've encountered some on our missions."
Rogers nodded and looking speculatively towards Simmons then back at Coulson. "So from what Natasha told me you've been having some problems with HYDRA agents," he said. Coulson felt Skye stiffen beside him; Ward's betrayal still in the forefront.
Coulson nodded to the Captain. "Yes," he replied. "when you defeated Red Skull the SSR rounded up all the remaining HYDRA and locked them up, or so we thought."
Steve frowned at that statement. "They got away?"
"Zola did," said Skye seeming to regain her momentum. "he created what might possibly the first rudimentary AI computer, that's a computer that can think for itself, known to man kind. Althoughweonly discovered it's existence a couple of weeks ago when SHIELD was attacked, he stored all of his knowledge and genius into that system effectively making an artificial Zola motivated by HYDRA ideals and equipped with the most advanced technology of the age."
"When we hit the information age," continued Coulson. "more and more information was being kept online and unknown to us freely available to the Zola AI..."
"Unknown to us Zola started amassing followers, indoctrinating people into HYDRA and planting them strategically throughout SHIELD until we were the minority and HYDRA became the dominant force behind SHIELD. Even the Secretary of Defense, Alexander Pierce; the guy SHIELD answered to was HYDRA, a very high ranking official of HYDRA actually, he was the one who orchestrated Project Insight and the Fall of SHIELD." Skye finished her tone now subdued.
Coulson looked Steve straight in the eyes. "Captain Rogers you offered us a great reprieve when you took down Red Skull, you threw a wrench in the works and waylaid HYDRA 's plans but it was only delayed, we managed to divert their primary objective; Project Insight, but it was a hollow victory for us really, HYDRA managed to destabilize the entire organization, as of this moment SHIELD is effectively gone."
Steve's brow furrowed. "So if SHIELD is gone then why...?" he trailed off looking around at the Bus's interior pointedly at all the fancy gadgetry thrown around haphazardly and raised an eyebrow.
Coulson nodded in understanding. "When SHIELD fell, it's then Director; Nick Fury, rumored to be dead, contacted us and handed over the reins of the organization, or what's left of it, to me," As he said those words Coulson started to feel the great burden that Fury had placed on his shoulders, could he really do this?
"But if SHIELD is gone and from what you say only a handful of loyal operatives remain then why not just accept defeat?" asked Steve. "Why keep fighting a losing battle?"
Coulson had to restrain himself from pulling his gun on this Cap because he felt almost certain that the Cap he had known and worshipped would never think about giving up, the lingering suspicion of him being an impostor almost made him do something rash but he checked himself, Natasha had vouched for him, Natasha doesn't make mistakes, period. Instead of attacking him Coulson tried to think of a scenario that would posit Captain America suggesting surrender. He focused in on all that he knew about the man and realized that he was being tested, Cap wanted to know; if he was going to be batting for the underdogs then he wanted to see if their motivations were rational and not a suicide revenge mission.
Coulson cleared his throat and answered Rogers. "Sir, the world at this moment is teaming up with people with special abilities, superhumans the result of experiments, genetic mutations, hell even aliens. Now I'm not saying all of them are dangerous but even if they don't mean to they can still cause harm to others, SHIELD was built on a foundation that sought to help these people and protect the rest of the world from them and them from the world. Whether we are five people, a hundred or a thousand, the world still needs us to be there, HYDRA is out there now, comfortable in the knowledge that they have us scattered, vulnerable and they are getting ready to take us out and if we don't stop them then there will be nobody else protecting the world from them. You're right we are a handful of people but we are still SHIELD and we still have a job to do.
Rogers listened to Coulson's speech for a moment while Skye stared at him in surprise and a little wonder and then Rogers lifted up his right hand and gave Coulson a smart salute. "Director Coulson, Steve Rogers reporting for duty, where do you want me?"
As Steve went upstairs to check out his bunk Skye turned to Coulson and raised an eyebrow. Coulson blinked and Skye let a small smirk play on her lips, even in her wildest dreams she had never imagined this situation would come to pass but there she was contemplating all the ways she could get Coulson alone and have her way with him. For once she just wanted to see the calm, cool and collected Agent Coulson unravel in a way that didn't hurt him but brought him pleasure.
Yes she had harbored a crush on the older Agent since the first time she had seen that he was more than just a suit, more than just a part of the system; when he had initiated Lola's flight control and took her for a spin in the modified red Corvette she had swooned and she had wondered if this was how he tried to entice her into joining SHIELD then what would it be like to be wooed by him because Coulson looked to her to be the type of person who wooed a woman.
Coulson glanced around for a moment and then nodded his head toward the SUV, Skye grinned and let the way to it getting in and squirming to find a comfortable spot as Coulson rounded to the other side and got in to sit next to her.
For a moment neither of them spoke looking straight out towards the, now empty, lab outside of the SUV's front window and then both spoke at the same time.
"So... "
"I...uhhh..."
They both burst out laughing at each other and themselves. Skye took in a deep breath and gave herself a little pep talk;Come on Skye get it right, you're an adult, he's older than you that's true, much much older than you perhaps, but age isn't important if you really care about him, you've looked, you know that there is, and never will be, someone better than him and he is interested if that kiss was any indication...mmm... that kiss though... No no Skye focus you've got to talk to him now if you want more of those kisses later, so talk.
Skye looked up from her inner monolog ready to talk to see Coulson looking straight at her his face set in a focused frown that always turned her on. Their eyes connected and all her pep talks went out the window, without any real conscious decision they began to move towards each other and once again their lips met.
This time the kiss was much more involved, Skye could feel everything; his lips were firm on her soft ones and she let out a deep moan in her throat as the kiss deepened. She could smell his cologne; a lightly applied scent that was just Coulson and then all other senses left her until all she could sense was his taste, lemons she noted; a sweet? maybe a breath mint? And somehow she could taste chocolates or maybe that was just the Hershey bar she had swiped before from Jemma's stash before they landed mingling with his flavors, she also could detect a hint of something metallic a familiar taste and when she realized what it was she pulled back.
She eyed him; his clothes were rumpled and somehow his tie had loosened and two of his top buttons were undone, had she done that? She looked down at her own shirt and saw that she was just as shabbily dressed as she had been to act like an adult Skye,she said to only just mauled at him like some over excited teenage boy at the back of his dad's car on prom shook herself of of these thoughts and addressed what was most pressing.
"You're bleeding," she said nodding towards his bruised cheek while her chest rose and fell in sync with him as they tired to catch their breaths.
Coulson blinked at her and put two fingers in his mouth and pulled them out covered in light pink looking blood. "Oh," he said surprised. "I must have bit my cheek when Natasha landed that blow."
Skye nodded not wanting to remember that incident; her anger spike had almost took her by surprise and while she didn't regret her actions she realized now in retrospect that it was probably not a good idea to bitch slap the Black Widow in the face and that she had been lucky to make it out of that altercation with her life intact or at least not ended up a big puddle of goo at Natasha's feet.
"How much of you own blood do you have to taste before you don't even realize that you're bleeding internally."
Coulson shrugged at that one and went to speak but Skye cut him off again.
"You must get punched in a the face a lot huh?" she asked adjusting her top.
"No not really," said Coulson sighing. "you'd be surprised how often you can taste your own blood in your mouth even when if you're not hit in the face."
Skye went to ask another question when Coulson interrupted her.
"Skye," he said exasperated, and she winced.
"I know, I know," she said. "Stalling, but you know this I kind of huge, AC."
Skye saw Coulson's expression close of a little. "It's alright if you're having second thoughts about this," he said although it sounded as if he extracting glass from his eyeballs as he said it. "There are a lot of factors that we might have to consider and maybe the two lapses could be considered isolated incidences that we can forget about."
Her heart started thumping hard as she realized what was happening, her pep talk had failed and she had reacted like a teenager trying to avoid taking about the situation. Her usual defensive tactic had backfired and her immaturity had given a chance for Coulson to reconsider all those doubts he probably had about starting a relationship with his subordinate, a hacker, and a girl that was more than twenty years younger than him. As Coulson started to reach for the door handle Skye thought frantically of what she could do to stop him leaving.
A couple of thoughts came to mind, she could pull him back and kiss him senseless again, he was affected by her and if she ravished him in the back seat of the SUV it could help with his decision to be with her, she could leap forward and lock the doors down with the switch on the door panel, she could even let her emotions go and break down forcing Coulson to comfort her and get him to stay that way.
And each and every idea sounded more and more immature to her than the last, she wasn't going to earn Coulson's respect and serious consideration as a viable partner if she acted like a child, those tactics might work with someone like Miles but Coulson was a different breed entirely he would rescue a damsel in distress but he would not take advantage of her vulnerability and if he found out that she was faking that vulnerability than he would lose a lot of respect towards said damsel and Skye had always told herself that she was no damsel.
"Italy," she says her voice determinedly calm, she watches as Coulson freezes, his hand on the handle tightens bit he doesn't open the door. She knows that he is being assaulted by images just as she is at the mention of that one word. "Quinns villa," she continues closing her eyes for a moment to stem her tears before they got started, she opened them again to see Coulson's jaw clench.
"It all became real for me that day. Before it was all different, I was part of a team of spys and we helped people with gifts, I got to hack into systems without being arrested, I had a sullen but steadfast SO who I could trust with my life, I had friends for the first time, people I likes, we played cards or video games and watched movies in our off hours and I had a massive crush on our commanding officer ever since he flew me in his badass red Corvette who he let's no one touch. If a few of the missions were dangerous then well that's what I had signed up for right?
"I had thought of it as a game, I would save the world by day and trounce FitzSimmons in monopoly by night, or we would get together to prank Ward, occasionally recruiting help from May, my crush on you was supposed to be a feeling thing, I recognized it and everything that came with it. You were my hero, you literally picked me off of the streets, gave me a job, gave me a home and gave me a family, your family, I mean how could I not fall all over for you? But then I got to know you, the more I found out the deeper I fell; the way you tried to save Dr Hall, how much you beat yourself over Amador, your dedication and trust towards the team in Peru. I felt like shot when you guys caught me with Miles and I was sure you were gonna dump me but no, you still helped me and when you found out about my parents redacted file you broke so many protocols, so many rules that you knew were there for a reason just to give me a peace of mind. I found my crush turning into something more, I admired you yes but I also wanted to please you, see approval in your eyes.
"God Coulson when I found you at that test site hooked up to that machine I was so terrified and when you said to let you die I don't know how I even managed to stand, I think I had actually fallen to my knees then. And when you looked at me and said my name I knew then that I was never going to stop loving you."
She saw Coulson shift at the word but she continues knowing that he wasn't going to say anything until she finished. "It still wasn't really though, yes I loved you but I was realistic, you were so much more older than me and much more experienced in every way that mattered and I was still just a kid off the street. I knew we could never be and I was fine with that but one thing I wasn't fine with was being something like your surrogate daughter, I was always happy that you treated me like an adult instead of hiding things from me like a father would a daughter, protecting me from the big bad world, you helped me get a footing on my own and never coddled me and I was grateful for that , I had that going for me at least but I still knew that even if you returned my feelings there was no way you were going to act on them because you were the boss and your dedication to SHIELD was your life, I was still okay with that and cherished our then current relationship whatever it was but then Italy happened.
"When Quinn shot that first bullet I was stunned, I had thought about a lot of possibilities of me going alone in to that villa but getting shot wasn't one of them, I had been so confident that Quinn or the Clairvoyant had some use for me that I thought myself invincible and couldn't believe that I had been shot. And when that second bullet hit it was more of the same until Quinn walked out and I was trying to call for help. I knew you were on your way and I wanted you to save me but more than that I wanted to tell you, I wanted to say it to you so much that I promised myself that if I survived this then I was going to find some way to tell you how much you meant to me. That was the point at which I realized that this was real, that it was no game and if was going to be able to be any part of it I need to get real. I woke up after you injected me with GH-325 and remembered my promise but before I could really talk to you HYDRA attacked a then there was Ward with his eyes and his 'awe shucks' look and I thought that yeah maybe with him it won't be so complicated and then you know what happened and we somehow ended up here with me shoving my foot in my mouth."
Coulson had long since removed his hand from the handle and listened patiently as Skye poured her heart out, when eye finished he nodded and said. "I admired you from the start, if I hadn't then I wouldn't have asked you to join SHIELD. The first time I thought of you in that way was when you were saying goodbye Mike Peterson's son, it may have had something to do with the red dress you were wearing but there was also the way you handled Ace and gave him hope that his Dad would someday be able to be with him again, you didn't even know him for more than three days and his Dad had taken you hostage less then twelve hours ago but you still tried to help him adjust, hugged him and comforted him. It made me see you more than as a headstrong hacker who didn't know when to back away before she got in way over her head."
Skye scowled at him for that but couldn't quite hide the smile on her face at the praise he gave her. "From that first day on the job with that raft idea?" he continued. "To how cleverly you managed to fool the Clairvoyants eye spy device I was constantly being impressed." he shifted a little uncomfortably after that and then said. "Uh... it's probably very unprofessional of me but do you remember how angry I was when May caught you with Miles?"
Skye winced at the reminder of one of her more worse decisions since she joined SHIELD and nodded. "Yeah well I might have been more angry at the fact that you slept with Miles more than you tipping him off about our investigation." Skye's eyes widened at that and she looked at Coulson in wonder, he smiled self consciously bit soldiered on seemingly unable to stop once he got started. "it didn't really help that May had recorded every moment you had spent with Lydon from the second you entered his apartment to your capture..." he trailed off letting her come to the horrifying conclusion.
"Oh. My. God." said Skye her face flushing crimson as she ducked her head looking away from Coulson's gray eyes. "Tell me you didn't watch it Coulson, please tell me you didn't watch me and Miles fucking." Coulson seemed to flinch back at the explicit but didn't reprimand, instead he sighed.
"As Commanding Officer, it is my duty to review each and every piece of evidence gathered in the field."
"Oh no," moaned Skye mortified.
"I deleted it," he said reassuringly placing a light hand on her shoulder which she didn't push away. "May gave me her only copy and I deleted it after... Miles was very lucky to leave that plane alive Skye after seeing... I had a hard time not seeing red when I talked to him especially after he made you cry." He spoke with pauses in between as if he was trying to restrain his anger.
Coulson cleared his throat and Skye watched as he got a handle on his emotions. "Of course during your probationary period with us you impressed me a number of times but you have to understand Skye that your incident with Skye caused out of the team to want to see you off the Bus," Skye's eyes filled at the thought of those days, she had been hard pressed to get them to talk to him again. "I couldnt actually let you go, you were already important to me by then but I couldn't keep you on without some sort of repercussion for you infractions and that's where the bracelet came in." Skye unconsciously rubbed her left wrist, that bracelet was the single most evil thing she had ever come across but she had no idea how evil until she had had to jump through so many hoops to save Coulson.
She saw Coulson wince at the gesture and let go of her wrist, she had never resented Coulson for giving her that bracelet and didn't ever want him to think that, she had been the one to fuck up with Miles she had deserved the punishment.
"And it made me feel more of an ass when you actually told me about the reason you did what you did," Coulson's voice was soft now, he reached over and gently life her hand clasping it in his, Skye tightened her grip willing him not to let go, his hands felt right in hers, slightly callused and rough from doing SHIELD Agent stuff but of course warm and caring as he held her hand. "I made it my mission to find out all I could about your parents because I couldn't stand to see the look in your eyes when you looked at that redacted SHIELD document."
Skye squeezed his hand in hers and said in a hoarse whisper her voice laced with emotion. "Thank you."
Coulson nodded and pulled her in for a hug, had a kiss on her hair and surrounded by the scent of strawberries he continued. "When you come to my rescue it was you who pulled me out of the single most terrible experience of my life! I had thought I was imagining your voice calling to me to come back to you but when I opened my eyes there you were, saving me. You were my hero that day Skye."
Skye pulled back and touched his lips. "Thank you," she said and gave him a chaste kiss, she went back to laying her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat as he went on.
Of course when it came to my turn to save you I was terrified out of my mind. When I found you at the Villa lying in a pool of your own blood shot to hell and calling for us, I have no idea how I managed to get Simmons to help or get you into that Hyperbolic Chamber because all I could see was the read of your blood and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart, I was ready to do anything to save you.
"I guess that was what Jared was counting on," said Coulson running a hand down over her dark hair making Skye shudder in pleasure. "He told me himself that this was probably what the Clairvoyant was after the location of the life restoring drug but I didn't care, all I cared about was saving you and anything else didn't matter. Afterwards I wanted to tell you all about how I felt but then HYDRA attacked and we were all rushing for cover. "
Skye nodded her head and snuggled more closely to Coulson and he tightened his grip on her and they both settled into comfortable silence feeling content to just hold each other after that emotional upheaval. They didn't speak again for a while though they did steal more kisses but none of them were heated, that could wait for another time.
Once Coulson had dropped Skye at her bunk and May had taken the Bus off the roof of the Triskelion Skye had settled down in her bed and opened up her laptop, she hacked into the Buses mainframe and navigated her way to Mays logs and private files, she found the folders marked only as 084-SK and browsed the folders, she had already seen most of these but now she navigated to some of the earlier ones and stopped at one marked as LYDN she opened the single video in that folder, winced at the visuals, closed it after five seconds of listening to her fake moaning and deleted the entire folder. As quietly as she had entered she left leaving no trace of her tampering and with a much more settled peace of mind she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Bucky's eyes widened when Steve broke down he pushed himself off of Darcy 's lap, a little reluctantly, and knelt beside his best friend.
"Steve!" he said in a frantic whisper. "Hey come on man don't..." he had reached out while trying to console him with his remaining arm and laid his hand on Steve's shoulder and almost immediately Steve threw himself at Bucky. If it wasn't for his enhanced strength Bucky might have been bowled over by Steve! As it was he grasped his brother's shoulders and steadied him while Steve clutched him around the middle and bawled his eyes our on Bucky's shoulder muttering incoherently.
Bucky was immediately transported to the days when bouts of fever and illnesses made Steve so delirious that he would go on crying until he exhausted his week body and it was Bucky who was always there to wipe his tears, to tell him that it was going to be okay, to coax him back to sleep. He wondered for a moment, who had been there for his friend, like Bucky had been ever since, he had taken the serum? Was there anyone who the punk had gotten close to or was it the usual that he made more enemies than friends and dealt with emotions and feelings on his own.
He gripped the punk tightly with his only arm rubbing it up and down his back as he felt the people around them get up and leave the room giving them some privacy, he felt a small hand brush at his hair as they passed by him and he closed his eyes as Darcy's touch calmed him enough to encourage Steve to get up and take this emotional upheaval to the sofa. He carefully avoided the photographs still strewn all across the floor around them determined to pick them all up later and had them to Darcy, they were obviously very important to her.
Their relocation seemed to have jarred Steve into reality and he tried to get a hold on his emotions trying to be Captain America again, Bucky wasn't having that; his best friend wasn't the Captain, that was just a persona he put on to try and hide his vulnerabilities. His best friend was Steve Rogers, the weedy kid from Brooklyn who had been by his side since childhood, the boy who stood up for others even when he couldn't handle standing on his own two feet.
"None of that, punk," Bucky said ruffling his hair and then gently nudging Steve's head down to his lap. Steve's bloodshot eyes widened at the gesture and he shook his head glancing at the closed door of the living room. "Never mind that," Bucky said firmly, it was always like this with him. "You know this helps so c'mon."
Back when he would become upset it only helped when Bucky would lay Steve's head in his lap and strong his hair until he calmed down, his mother had used to do that but when she had died Bucky had taken over all of her responsibilities pertaining to Steve.
It sounded less masculine sure but Bucky had never given it a second thought when Steve, wracked with grief over his mums death, had told him how much he would miss those moments with her. It didn't matter how weird it would sound to other people, his best friend needed comfort and Bucky was going to provide it.
He even smiled as Steve lay his head in Bucky's lap and turned his face in to bury it in Bucky's stomach relaxing it seemed for the first time in years
After about ten minutes when Steve seemed to have completely calmed down Bucky mumbled down at him. "It's been what ten - twelve years since we last did this?" It was when Bucky was officially leaving for his first posting and they had both been crying then.
Steve's voice came muffled as he snorted. "More like eighty four years Buck, catch up."
The fingers that were still stroking Steve 's hair tightened as Bucky yanked on then playfully. "I meant for us, Punk," he said testily. "And you damn well know it."
Steve had let out a yelp and moved away from Bucky's abusive hands sitting up next to Bucky and glowering at him while rubbing his aching scalp. "Jeez Bucky, you don't know your own strength do you?"
Bucky's smile immediately dampened, he looked down at his hand and frowned. "I guess with you it was easy enough to forget..." he felt Steve place a hand on his left shoulder.
"Hey, Buck," he said wiping away the remnants of his tears away. "It's fine, we'll figure it out."
Bucky nodded letting out a heavy sigh, it was all too fresh; surviving the fall, losing his arm, being transported to the future and then meeting Steve again, better yet meeting a Steve that had been in said future for more than two years all alone believing all of his friends to be dead or dying. He shook his head; Stevie would not have taken that well, knowing him, and he did better than anybody else, he had allowed himself to be isolated, letting his feelings fester and taking it all out on that damned bag! He had told Steve so many times that venting was not the right way to deal with his emotions but did he listen? Who had been there for his best friend when he had arrived in the future alone and probably scared out of his mind?
Going by his reaction to meeting Bucky again the answer to that was; no one. No one had been there for him but here he was reassuring him like he always did. He shook his head; the punk was an idiot, the was no hint of malice in his thoughts just a frustrated sort of fondness, for once he wished Steve took as much care of himself as he did others.
Steve shook him out of his thoughts. "So according to the dame you were usin' as a pillow you were transported straight from the ravine you fell into to the desert?"
Bucky nodded grateful for the prompt, despite repeatedly stating that he needed to contact Steve and of course despite the time Steve himself spent mourning his death they found that they had surprisingly little to say to each other. "Yeah," he replied jerking his thumb towards the labs backdoor. "about five miles that way. I actually landed maybe fifteen miles further but walked until I couldn't and Darcy and Jane found me."
Steve nodded and the aftermath mischievous glint was back in his eyes. "Darcy, right," he said and Bucky held back an oath. "Cute dame, huh."
"I guess," Bucky said trying to be aloof, from Steve's grin he guessed he had failed. But before he could say something a knock sounded through the door and an obnoxious sounding male voice sounded out both from the door and out of the open red and gold metal suit that Bucky just noticed parked in the room.
"Hey Cap, you about done moping over your friend? Because I just wanted to point out that you've got some more moping to do back at the tower as Pepper was kind enough to remind me just now." There was a pause and then a loud smack sounded out from the suit. "Ow, damn it. Kid has hands quicker than her mouth... Uh okay okay, geez. Uh Miss Lewis here wanted me to let you know to take as much time as you need there's no hurry. Although Cap Aunt Peg is still waitin on you." And the feed cut off.
Bucky furrowed his eyebrows at that last sentence. "Peg? He doesn't mean...?"
Steve nodded sighing. "The same. Turns out you're trip into the future wasn't an isolated incident. Peggy showed up unconscious on top of Tony Starks tower just this morning around the same time you arrived here."
Bucky blinked at that. "Stark? That's Howards kid? Ironman from what Darcy says." he nodded at the suit. "I'm guessing that was him?"
Steve sighed again. "Yeah. Tony has a way with people." was all he said.
Bucky grinned nodding. "Knowing Stark Senior I would assume that it would be his way, right?"
Steve grinned ruefully at that. "You have no idea Buck. No idea at all."
Bucky chose not to comment on that instead he asked. "So ol' Agent Hardass eh? What's up with that?"
Steve narrowed his eyes at one of the nicknames the Commandos had taken to calling Peggy behind her back whenever she had to straighten them out but didn't address it.
"Yeah," he said his voice distant. "the other Peggy from this time line is still alive, I visited her the first chance I got when I woke up and found out she was still ticking, when I crashed that plane," he nodded down at one of the pictures on the floor depicting the half frozen HYDRA plane and Bucky nodded along recalling Darcy's animated story about the discovery of Captain America and his subsequent Thawing. "I was talking to Peggy over the radio, I had promised her a dance at the Stork Club..."
Bucky snorted. "You can't dance worth a damn punk," he said sniggering.
Steve scowled. "I know that," he replied though there wasn't any anger in his tone, Steve knew better than to take offense to anything harsh Bucky said to him, they knew they never meant it. "It was the principal of it! I was about to die, but it turned out I didn't..."
All joking left Bucky he reached out his hand and laid it beside Steve's fumbling one on the couch turning to face him. "It doesn't seem like you were happy about that?" said Bucky finally no accusation in his voice, it would be hypocritical since he had been be moaning his survival less than two hours ago.
Steve shook his head agony lacing his voice. "Buck, I had no one. You were dead now for more than seventy years! The Commandos all gone, and Peggy was the worst of them all," his voice shuddered and he looked to be on the verge of crying again. "They diagnosed her with Alzermers; it's a kind of disease in older people which makes you lose your short term memory, you slowly forget your friends, colleagues, he'll even your own family."
Bucky's eyes widened at that. "Shit!" he said softly.
"I would go visit her and she would recognize me saying she knew I was coming back and we would catch up, I would tell her about the Avengers, the good I thought I was doing, she would say she was proud of me and how I should think about finding someone. How she had found love again and lived a full live and then she would pause, look at me and it would start all over again... "
"Damn," said Bucky words feeling inadequate, both the soldiers eyes were filled with tears she might have been a hard ass but Bucky mostly remembered Peggy fondly, as someone a part of their team, someone he cared about. To hear about the state she was in now was heart breaking, double so for Steve he thought because the punk had been in love with her. "I'm sorry Bud, I really am."
Steve blinked away his tears. "I stopped going after that, I couldn't put myself in her through that shit any longer and then HYDRA revealed that it was alive and very active withing all of Shield to the point that we needed to take down SHIELD itself to take down HYDRA. Bucky... I... you... " he trailed off and Bucky watched the emotions play a cross his face for a moment before he hid it, damn the punk had gotten better at that.
"Stevie what...?" asked Bucky hesitantly.
"... And then not two weeks after we took down HYDRA Tony calls me to say that he found an unconscious Peggy Carter on his roof this morning, I rush to meet her, talk to her and Tony intercepts me saying that Jane Foster and her assistant had found Sergeant James Barnes in New Mexico. Believe me Buck, it's been a busy morning for me."
Bucky nodded along to all the things he understood from Steve's rushed ending and figured something out. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there punk?"
Steve's eyes widened this time and his fist clenched, Bucky could see his jawline twitching. "Jane mentioned something about the Winter Soldier?" Bucky startled as Steve violently flinched at that name and stood up.
"We should go, we've been here long enough," he said and Bucky recognized the easy authority with which her spoke, his Captain America voice; he was hiding.
"Steve... " protested Bucky standing up.
"Buck," he said smiling, it looked forced. "I promise I'll explain everything, just not," his eyes lingered over the scattered photographs on the floor for a moment. "Just not here."
Bucky sighed and then nodded, Steve's word was his life he could trust him to food thro ppugh. "Fine then, where exactly are we going?" he asked as he turned to gather up the photographs, he looked up to see Steve grin again, this time it was not forced.
"I have a date I'm seventy two years late for."
While Steve and Bucky were taking a moment to gather themselves there was another form of emotional upheaval taking place in front of Darcy; more accurately to infamous tempers were making an appearance and Darcy didn't think that their quaint little lab was going to be able to handle the pressure, she glanced at the guy with the most infamous temper and thought that if he were to lose it then the town might not survive it.
Why we tempers flaring, well it was due to Tony Starks inability to take 'No' for an answer. He was once again offering Jane a job at Stark Industries and Jane on par was inflating with indignation and spewing angry retorts.
"I'm just saying Doc that your talents are being wasted here..." Stark was saying but Jane overrode him.
"I'm doing what I love!" she said incensed.
"C'mon Doc!" Tony rebutted exasperated at Jane's stubbornness. "you can do what you love back at SI as well only with much better equipment, better funding and with my name backing your work you will never be ridiculed for you ideas ever again! Why woman won't you see reason!"
Jane got straight up in Starks face, Darcy figured this was only possible because Tony was relatively short for a guy. "I won't go corporate Stark," she spat at the man. "I won't you can bet on it."
Stark rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you won't be working for me! You'll be working with me! Oh and with Banner too," he added as an afterthought.
And why would I want to work with you?" asked Jane livid. "You don't even chose to show your PhDs any respect!" Darcy's eyebrows rose at this; since when did you need to show a college certificate respect? Jane was in a stride though. "How many do you hold? Huh Stark? Five? Six? And not once do you even consider acknowledging them by giving yourself the rightful title!"
To tell the truth Darcy really didn't understand it, maybe it was because after her completion of her Poli-Sci Degree she still remained Miss Lewis and not Doctor or Professor or something like that that she couldn't empathize with Jane but maybe she could sympathize; it would be just like Jane to be counting the days to when she would officially become Doctor Foster instead of remaining just as Miss Foster. If that was the case then she could understand how seeing someone hold more than the three she did but not use the title it granted them could grate on her nerves. Then she checked her watch; or maybe it was the fact that due to the excitement Jane had missed her full morning coffee dose and not was slowly unraveling at the seams, regardless Darcy decided to walk over and turn on the percolator just to have the caffeine supply ready as a precaution rather than need it and not have it.
"It's Seven actually! And why in the hell would I put Doctor as a title when I already have better titles to refer myself with?" he mocked pondered something for dramatic effect. "Hmm Genius Billionaire Philanthropist Tony Stark comes to mind and of course my favorite; Ironman Tony Stark," he turned and winked at a eye rolling Darcy. "I love the classics."
Darcy hid a smirk and poured out two cups of coffee fixing one just like Jane drank and the other completely black, she walked over and handed both scientists the beverages and they both called a truce long enough to drink the coffee.
"Mmm," said Stark smacking his lips. "That's good joe. Of course at Stark Towers JARVIS is in charge of Coffee making and I have espresso machines in each and every lab there is, and what's more we import our beans directly from Java roasted to perfection." he honed in for the kill as Jane's eyes got glassy at the mere mention of gourmet coffee. Darcy couldn't blame her, her own mouth was salivating at the heavenly picture Stark was painting, but she shook it off and growled at the astrophysicist.
"Jane...!"
Jane shook herself awake and screeched. "No Stark, No. Bribing me with coffee? That's a low blow even for you."
Stark sighed and nodded taking another sip of coffee. "I'm sorry, sorry but think about this will you? SHIELD is gone! Your funding will dry up soon and your gonna be stuck here waiting for what? All I'm offering is comfortable living quarters, decent hours, access to all of Stark Industries RD files, your own personal lab and more coffee than you can imagine, and maybe the next time a certain Hammer wielding God comes to visit you won't miss him."
Darcy scowled at that, Jane was still smarting over Thors apparent dead beat ways and now Stark was throwing salt onto deep wounds. "Now wait a minute Mister Stark -" she started to say but Jane cut her off.
"Darcy comes with me," she said and Darcy stopped short staring at her boss incredulously.
Stark nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, he quarters and office are already ready as are your rooms and lab Dr Foster."
Jane sighed and nodded finishing off her cup and looking around her eyes settled the door they had come through. "We should check on them," she suggested making Stark grin he was obviously waiting for an opportunity to butt his head into their business.
He walked over to the door and banged on it, and spoke loudly with his left hand up to his mouth. "Hey Cap, you about done moping over your friend? Because I just wanted to point out that you've got some more moping to do back at the tower as well."
Darcy couldn't help it he hand swung up and stated Stark on the back of his head; the insensitive prick let out a yelp. "Ow, damn it. Kid has hands quicker than her mouth..."
Darcy smirked. "You better believe it Stark, now if you want Jane to come work for you you will give them as much time as they need to figure this out, tell them that, go on."
Stark stared at her for a moment and then. "Uh okay okay, geez." he muttered and the louder; "Uh Miss Lewis here wanted me to let you know to take as much time as you need there's no hurry. Although Cap, Aunt Peg is still waitin on you." And he cut the feed turning to her. "There you happy?"
Darcy grinned prettily. "Uber happy! Thanks dude!" and she surprised him by kissing his cheek and skipping away to make more coffee.
Tony stared as Lewis skipped away, Bruce came up to him and nudged his side. "she's a force of nature isn't she?"
Tony snorted. "Not anything special," he denied.
Bruce just smiled. "Is that why you did exactly as she said two minutes ago?"
"She bullied me!" he protested still observing as Foster joined them immediately receiving a cup from Lewis which she drained in record time.
Bruce revised an eyebrow. "You're actually admitting that?"
Tony winced at his slip up and covered. "Well... no... it's just that..." he paused. "Hey you want some coffee!?" he said trying for a subject change.
Bruce actually grinned. "You know I don't drink it Tony, but thanks for the thought." Tony watched as Bruce walked off to chat to the Doc.
He observed Darcy Lewis; the woman was different, she kind of reminded him of himself before Afghanistan. He had always been snarky but now he was almost intentionally insensitive or insulting closing to make people get a horrible first impression at any meeting or gathering, his snark got away with him because it was his security blanket and he used it a lot during the last few years, these days they were laced with tons of cynicism and a touch of bitter making for an uncomfortable cocktail to swallow.
It was part of pushing people away. It had gotten so bad that they days he even forgot what it was like to be carefree and have fun. Lewis reminded him of those days, she was young, impetuous a little rough around the edges but as he watched her engage Bruce in conversation no reservation present what so ever he got a feeling that Darcy Lewis was about to make his life more interesting than ever.
I now regret the Skoulson pairing and even I cringe at their interlude in the SUV But I can't change this. This was my writing four years ago, I'd like to think I've improved but I want to leave my mistakes up so that I can learn from them Next chappy will be up soon.
